BRIDGEPORT -- A jury Thursday awarded nearly $120,000 to an Easton woman injured when she fell outside the Norwalk Stew Leonard's store six years ago.

The six-member state Superior Court jury deliberated about two hours before finding the store's owner negligently caused the injuries to now 74-year-old Favronia Fatse.

"Throughout the trial, there was testimony that Stew Leonard's not only knew that this problem existed, but that they chose not to do anything about it," said Fatse's lawyer, James Butler. "Despite its attempt to avoid responsibility for its actions and what had happened to Mrs. Fatse, Stew Leonard's was ultimately held responsible by the jury, which clearly took their job seriously."

"Unfortunately, these type of situations occur when you have a tremendous number of shoppers visiting our store," said Meghan Bell, a spokeswoman for Stew Leonard's. "We place a great deal of resources in ensuring that our shoppers' experience both a safe and pleasant one."

Fatse, then 68, had gone shopping with her husband on the afternoon of March 10, 2007, at the Stew Leonard's store. As she approached the front of the store where the shopping carts were located, she tripped and fell on a defect in the surface that both she and her husband testified was about 3 inches wide and a half inch deep. She landed on her left side.

Fatse was taken to Norwalk Hospital, where she was treated for two broken bones in her right foot and a tear in her left hip, which required surgery. During the three-day trial before Judge Dale Radcliffe, there was testimony that Fatse still suffers as a result of her injuries.

During the trial, one of the managers from Stew Leonard's store testified that he was aware of the defect, which he characterized as a "depression," prior to March 10, 2007, but did not feel that it was a danger.

The jury came in with an award of $159,760.25, but then reduced that by 25 percent after determining Fatse's own degree of negligence, for a total of $119,820.19.